These vegan oatmeal raisin cookies are thick and chewy, with slightly crisp, golden brown edges. There's a generous amount of cinnamon for that warm spicy flavor, which provides the perfect balance for the plump raisins. I give instructions on how to freeze the cookie dough for later baking, so you can always have freshly baked cookies on hand!
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This time of year is all about holiday cookies, and if you're vegan, you don't need to be left out. Some of my favorite cookies are vegan, like no butter lemon cookies, thumbprint cookies, and egg-less blondies.
But you've got to have a classic cookie on your cookie platter, like these homemade egg-less oatmeal raisin cookies. The sweetness of the raisins is well-balanced with the warm cinnamon, and the texture is perfectly soft and chewy. Enjoy!
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⭐️ Why These Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Are The Best
- Soft and chewy vegan cookies with a crisp exterior
- Instructions provided on how to freeze cookie dough to bake later
- Easy oatmeal raisin cookies that are vegan, dairy free, egg-less, and no butter
- Freezer-friendly cookies
🥣 Cookie Ingredients
- Raisins - you can use standard raisins or golden raisins; plumping them up ahead of time is not required, but I highly recommend it for soft and chewy cookies.
- Flax egg (1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 Tablespoons water) - this is your egg substitute, which adds chewiness and helps to bind the cookies, like in this vegan lemon cookies recipe.
- Vegan butter - any brand of vegan butter will work, but I used Earth Balance
- Light brown sugar - adds warm notes of molasses as well as moisture to the cookies.
- Ground cinnamon - adds so much warm spicy flavor, complementing the raisins perfectly.
- Old-fashioned rolled oats - Avoid using "quick cooking oats", as they will not hold up as well when baked.
📝 Cookie Substitutions & Variations
- Oil. I have not tested this, but you should be able to substitute any neutral vegetable oil or coconut oil for the vegan butter.
- For gluten-free cookies: Substitute using a 1:1 ratio with your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour.
- Chia seeds: Swap the flax seed for 1 Tablespoon of ground chia seeds.
- Mix-ins: Add ½ cup of toasted and cooled walnuts or chocolate chips.
🔪 How To Make Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
*For a printable version, see recipe card below
In a medium-sized bowl, add raisins and boiling water, and let raisins soften and plump up a bit while you continue prepping cookie ingredients. *This isn't a necessary step, but your cookies will be more moist if you take the time to do this.
Make the flax egg: In a small bowl, combine the ground flax meal and water and give it a stir. Set aside for 15 minutes to thicken.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or using an electric hand mixer and a large bowl, beat the softened vegan butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar, and mix again for 2 more minutes, until fluffy and lighter in color. Pour in prepared flax egg and vanilla extract, and mix until well combined.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Pour dry ingredients into bowl with the wet ingredients, and mix on low speed just until flour is incorporated.
Drain the raisins, and gently pat dry with a paper towel, being careful not to mash them. Add the raisins and oats into the cookie dough, and use a rubber spatula to mix until well combined in the dough. Chill cookie dough for 30 minutes in the fridge. (This isn't a mandatory step, however, your cookies will have a much chewier texture if you chill them.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a 1-inch cookie scoop or teaspoon, scoop cookie dough onto baking sheet, for a total of 12 cookies on one baking sheet and 6 on the other.
Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are golden brown (the tops won't brown too much). Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a spatula to transfer them to a cooling rack.
🍽 Storage Instructions
Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature (or in the fridge) for up to one week.
To freeze cookie dough for baking later: Portion cookie dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet using a cookie scoop. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer cookie dough to a large freezer bag, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can bake cookies directly from the freezer, but you'll need to add 2-3 minutes to baking time.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Don't overbake cookies. They might not look done after 13 minutes, but take them out of the oven anyway. They will continue to bake as they cool.
- Chill cookie dough. Refrigerating your cookie dough before baking helps to concentrate the flavors, as well as creating cookies with a thicker and chewier texture.
- Use the "spoon and level" method of measuring flour for accuracy (never pack flour into a measuring cup). To use this method, spoon flour into a measuring cup until it's full, then level it off using the back of a knife.
- How to freeze cookies: After completely cooled, place cookies in a freezer-safe bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Use a cookie scoop. This helps create cookies that are all the same size.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Soaking raisins before adding them to cookie dough isn't required, but it really helps to keep the cookies moist, as raisins pull moisture from the cookie to re-hydrate while baking. Soaking them ahead of time prevents this from happening, keeping the moisture in the cookies themselves.
Since instant oats are meant to be cooked quickly, they are super processed, and will become too soft and mushy when added to cookies. For the ideal cookie texture, be sure to use old-fashioned rolled oats, which will hold up well when baked.
Flax egg makes for a great binder in vegan cookies, as it has a gelatinous texture that helps to hold the cookie dough together in place of eggs.
🍪 More Vegan Cookie Recipes
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Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe
Equipment
- Stand mixer or electric hand-mixer
- 2 large baking sheets
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup raisins
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 flax egg (1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 Tablespoons water)
- ½ cup vegan butter, softened
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, add raisins and boiling water, and let raisins soften and plump up a bit while you continue prepping cookie ingredients. *This isn't a necessary step, but your cookies will be more moist if you take the time to do this.
- Make the flax egg: In a small bowl, combine the ground flax meal and water and give it a stir. Set aside for 15 minutes to thicken.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or using an electric hand mixer and a large bowl, beat the softened vegan butter on medium speed for 1 minute. Add brown sugar and granulated sugar, and mix again for 2 more minutes, until fluffy and lighter in color. Pour in prepared flax egg and vanilla extract, and mix until well combined.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Pour dry ingredients into bowl with the wet ingredients, and mix on low speed just until flour is incorporated.
- Drain the raisins, and gently pat dry with a paper towel, being careful not to mash them. Add the raisins and oats into the cookie dough, and use a rubber spatula to mix until well combined in the dough. Chill cookie dough for 30 minutes in the fridge. (This isn't a mandatory step, however, your cookies will have a much chewier texture if you chill them.)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a 1-inch cookie scoop or teaspoon, scoop cookie dough onto baking sheet, for a total of 12 cookies on one baking sheet and 6 on the other.
- Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are golden brown (the tops won't brown too much). Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a spatula to transfer them to a cooling rack.
Notes
- Don't overbake cookies. They might not look done after 13 minutes, but take them out of the oven anyway. They will continue to bake as they cool.
- Chill cookie dough. Refrigerating your cookie dough before baking helps to concentrate the flavors, as well as creating cookies with a thicker and chewier texture.
- Use the "spoon and level" method of measuring flour for accuracy (never pack flour into a measuring cup). To use this method, spoon flour into a measuring cup until it's full, then level it off using the back of a knife.
Kat says
My new favorite cookie recipe!! I can't get over how perfect they turned out. My entire family has been eating them non-stop. I guess I need to make another batch for the holidays! Thank you for such an awesome recipe!
MaryAnne says
So happy to hear that you loved this cookie recipe, Kat! Thanks so much for leaving a review!